General Spyra used the moment of silence to stand, and face down Targon.
“That army, and that demon power is not what we’re facing, sir. There is a pair of battalions marching up from Plat as we speak. The mages among them are arrow diverters, and fire starters, at best! I don’t see how a single sorcerer could…”
An icy breeze fluttered through the room, and a deep, sizzling hum suddenly popped like a miniature crackle of thunder over the table.
Everyone was startled. Talon cawed out a warning cry, and General Spyra drew his sword with uncanny speed. A figure had appeared, hovering a few feet over the table. Talon leapt into flight at it, and passed right through the man-sized form. Queen Willa stopped General Spyra from attacking the apparition, and held the room still, as the vision slowly gained definition and detail.
The figure was robed and booted in shiny black. At the sleeves, collar, and hem of the robe, glittering rows of crimson shapes, that strongly resembled droplets of blood, sparkled and dazzled the eye. Inside the upraised hood of the robe, Hyden could see a menacing smile on a pale, grayish face.
The little blue pixie man took up a hovering position behind the Queen, and Andra, the dwarfess made the hand sign to ward away evil, from her cowering place half under the table.
“A sending only,” Targon said quickly, in a voice full of forced reassurance.
To demonstrate, he reached out, and passed his hand through the apparition.
“See, it’s just a vision sending, it has no substance.”
“Sort of like your feigned confidence,” Pael chuckled softly.
“Who are you? What do you want?” Queen Willa snapped.
Her voice was harsh and commanding, but her eyes plainly betrayed her fear.
“Hmmm,” Pael’s voice, shimmering with magical energy, tinkled coldly into the room from seemingly everywhere, yet from nowhere at all.
He reached up and slipped the hood back from his head. The color of his skin so perfectly matched the white marble walls of the room, that for a moment, the shape of his skull was hard to define. His gleefully evil expression, and cold dark eyes were perfectly clear though.
“I want you out of my castle. All of you,” Pael said menacingly. “You have until the end of tomorrow to vacate the city. My army will leave the Jenkanta Passage unmolested for those who are wise enough to flee me.”
He indicated King Jarrek with a flourishing, outstretched hand.
“As the former ruler of Wildermont can tell you, I can and will tear this ancient place to the ground. If you swear fealty to me though, Willa the Witch, I might let your citizens repopulate Wildermont. The place is completely empty at the moment.”
Pael chuckled coldly, and turned away from Jarrek’s outraged crimson expression.
“If you do not, then my Dakaneese friends will be pleased to sell your people afar.”
It wouldn’t have surprised Hyden if smoke began rolling out of King Jarrek’s ears. The man was fuming with anger, but somehow managed to keep his tongue in check.
Seeing his effect on Jarrek’s demeanor, Pael laughed more deeply, then strode through the air, over the table, toward Queen Willa.
“I would rather not destroy this place, but have no doubt that I will, if you resist me, witch.”
“We will not run from you!” Willa said fiercely.
From somewhere high in the room, Talon cried out a proud shriek of support. The hawkling’s call reverberated around the stonewalled room harshly, causing Pael to flinch and glance about. Once the wizard determined that there was no threat to him, his temper flared.
“You fools will think differently when you gaze upon my army.”
Pael turned, and strode back over the table towards where Targon, Hyden, and Andra were. Clasping his hands behind his back, he continued his tirade.
“My daughter, who incidentally, is now known as the Dragon Queen of Westland, was only supposed to cause blood to be shed on the sacred soil of the Leif Greyn Valley so that the Dragon’s Pact might be broken. With the dragon unbound to the Seal, I had my way. The fact that her little band, dressed as your Blacksword soldiers, caused King Broderick and Queen Rachel to attack you was a boon I couldn’t have conceived and better planned myself.”
He stopped, and turned back towards General Spyra. From across the length of the table the General met his eyes.
“By the way, General, you needn’t worry about the Valleyans and Seawardsmen now. I’ve killed the lot of them. You’ll find out when the dawn breaks, that they march for me now!”